Occupation-Based Multicomponent Intervention to Reduce Fall Risk in Older Adults

Official title

Occupation-Based Multicomponent Intervention to Reduce Fall Risk in Older Adults Living in a Community With a History of Falls: A Prospective Quasi-Experimental Study

Overview

This study aims to examine the effects of an occupation-based, multicomponent occupational therapy intervention on older adults aged 65 years and above with a history of falls living in the community. The intervention consists of 12 individualized sessions designed around the participants' meaningful occupations. It incorporates balance and gait training, environmental modifications, behavioral strategies, and safety-enhancing activities within a holistic framework. The sample will include 40 older adults who have experienced at least one fall in the past year. Data will be collected using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM), Tinetti Balance and Gait Test, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Pre- and post-intervention measurements will be compared to evaluate the program's effects on occupational performance, satisfaction, balance, and gait functions. The study is expected to provide valuable evidence on the effectiveness of occupation-based approaches in fall prevention interventions for older adults.

Detailed description

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a 12-session occupation-based, multicomponent occupational therapy intervention for older adults aged 65 years and above who have a history of falls. Falls are common in this population and are influenced by a combination of physical, behavioral, and environmental factors. Occupational therapy interventions that integrate balance training, environmental modification, and activity-based strategies may support safer participation in daily occupations. The intervention in this study is individualized and structured around the meaningful occupations identified by participants through the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). The program includes components such as balance and gait training during daily activities, safety education, environmental adaptations, and behavioral strategies to reduce fall risk. Sessions are conducted individually in a face-to-face format and include both clinic-based and real-environment activities. Participants will complete standardized assessments before and after the intervention, including measures of occupational performance, satisfaction, balance, and functional mobility. The results will contribute to the understanding of how occupation-based multicomponent interventions support fall prevention and functional independence in community-dwelling older adults.

Interventions

• Behavioral Occupation-Based Multi-Component Intervention
  Occupation-Based Multi-Component Intervention

Primary outcome measures

• Mini Mental State Examination [Time frame: 12 week]
• Canada Occupational Performance Measurement [Time frame: 12 week]
• Tinetti Balance and Gait Test [Time frame: 12 week]
• Timed Up and Go test [Time frame: 12 week]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

History of at least one fall within the last 6 months

Age 65 years or older

Exclusion criteria

Presence of a primary neurological condition that could contribute to falls (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease)

Presence of an orthopedic condition that could contribute to falls (e.g., extremity fractures, osteoarthritis, limb length discrepancy)

Presence of a psychiatric condition that could contribute to falls

History of any surgical operation involving the extremities

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

N/A

Model

Single group

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

Turkey (Türkiye) · 1 center

• Hacettepe Universitesi — Ankara

Publications

• Leland NE, Elliott SJ, O'Malley L, Murphy SL. Occupational therapy in fall prevention: current evidence and future directions. Am J Occup Ther. 2012 Mar-Apr;66(2):149-60. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2012.002733. PMID 22394524
• Kim M, Shin E, Kim S, Sok S. The Effectiveness of Multicomponent Intervention on Daily Functioning among the Community-Dwelling Elderly: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jun 18;19(12):7483. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19127483. PMID 35742730
• James SL, Lucchesi LR, Bisignano C, Castle CD, Dingels ZV, Fox JT, Hamilton EB, Henry NJ, Krohn KJ, Liu Z, McCracken D, Nixon MR, Roberts NLS, Sylte DO, Adsuar JC, Arora A, Briggs AM, Collado-Mateo D, Cooper C, Dandona L, Dandona R, Ellingsen CL, Fereshtehnejad SM, Gill TK, Haagsma JA, Hendrie D, Jurisson M, Kumar GA, Lopez AD, Miazgowski T, Miller TR, Mini GK, Mirrakhimov EM, Mohamadi E, Olivares PMID 31941758
• Gillespie LD, Gillespie WJ, Robertson MC, Lamb SE, Cumming RG, Rowe BH. Interventions for preventing falls in elderly people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2001;(3):CD000340. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD000340. PMID 11686957
• Fernandez-Arguelles EL, Rodriguez-Mansilla J, Antunez LE, Garrido-Ardila EM, Munoz RP. Effects of dancing on the risk of falling related factors of healthy older adults: a systematic review. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2015 Jan-Feb;60(1):1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2014.10.003. Epub 2014 Nov 6. PMID 25456888
• Altuntas O, Degerli MNO, Temizkan E, Ekici G. Psychometric properties of the Canadian occupational performance measure in older individuals. Turk J Med Sci. 2023 Nov 28;54(1):338-347. doi: 10.55730/1300-0144.5796. eCollection 2024. PMID 38812638

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07258355 · 4fba1e62c6f1465b

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗